Since the days of Jesus, every generation has included believers who became convinced that He was returning any minute. Books were written, timelines constructed, movements birthed. At various times in seasons past, people left their jobs, postponed marriage, sold their goods and moved to remote locations to wait for the promised imminent return, which obviously never came. Over the past 2,000 years the lesson seemed to be that any rational person should hesitate to sound the alarm of the soon return of Jesus. Far safer to stay well away from such talk. No one wants to embarrass the Kingdom, or look like a kook, right?
Yet a generation is coming which will be the last one--the Bible says so. At some point there will be a people on the Earth for whom the warnings were given, those who will need to heed the call to urgency in order to stand, even to survive. That generation will see all the prophecies come to pass. That generation will be a people refined through the events of tribulation, a generation whose eyes are locked on their beautiful, glorious King. They will learn that the One who saved them is also more than able to keep them, empower them, and bring them safely into His returning Kingdom. That generation will see with their physical eyes the coming of the Lord. Wow!
So we seem to be faced with an impossible choice, either look like a total nut, or relegate the biblically-orthodox doctrine of the Second Coming to a time far, far away and therefore irrelevant to me and mine. The world goes on as it always has, oblivious to the return of Jesus, but it should not be so for us. We live in tension...bills must be paid, homes must be kept, children must be raised, yet Jesus told us to keep our eyes on the horizon, lest we miss the day of our visitation. We are warned to stay close to Him, be alert, to heed the biblical warnings and keep them fresh, so as not to fall in with scoffers. II Peter 3 says that there will be those who say, "people have been saying for thousands of years that He's coming... where is He then?" So the real choice is between thinking His return is so distant as to be irrelevant, or eagerly longing and living for His coming.
I believe we are in an extraordinary season, one that should not be wasted, yet the pull is strong to live my life as usual...like nothing out of the ordinary is on the horizon. So I'm asking myself, does my life reflect my belief that He is returning soon, or have I unknowingly slid into the camp of the scoffers? Is it possible that scoffers do not know they are scoffers? I think perhaps so. Giving mental assent to the message while living as if "I needn't worry too much because those events will likely happen far, far in the future" is deceiving myself about where I am actually camping. And so I repent, asking for a heart more awake, more tender, more given to God. I ask for more willingness to give myself for His purposes, and live more fully for Him.
I cannot think of a better message to resound in every generation through the ages than "Jesus is coming soon." Any message that causes the people of God to think seriously about eternity, focus more intently on Jesus, give themselves more deeply in love and commitment to God is a good message. Wasting my life on Jesus and His kingdom is not a waste. If I feel the urgency of the hour and give my heart more completely to Jesus, live my life more in love with Him, give myself more completely to His message, then I have missed nothing of eternal value. And if He delays coming until another generation, and I look foolish for giving a 'false alarm," then I guess I am a fool for Christ, but how better could I spend my life than on Jesus, who gave me everything?
He is coming back and He is coming soon to gather in His family and make the whole world His kingdom. This is true, even if I sound like a kook for saying so.
"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming."
Matthew 25:42
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